Has anyone seen Eastern Nebraska

RK Special K said:
The property would be purchased with absolute deed restrictions that it NEVER be resold to ANYONE. Period.

The property would be purchased with restrictions that it be "managed" by the states or a contract with organizations like PF. But I truly question how much "management" this grass would need. The soil bank acreage was simply left fallow to the ravages of nature. Bird numbers EXPLODED. Oh, maybe some window dressing such as food plots and shelter belts could be added by state and PF type groups if so inclined and supported by sportsmen but simply having 60 million acres of fallow ground is 95%+ of the solution.

With 60 million acres of fallow ground in western pheasantland, motels in the rural pheasant belt of America would be full for the first 3 weeks of the season.

PHEASANTLAND defined:

Large parts of: MN, ND, MT, SD, IA, NE, KS. Perhaps some fringe areas of other states adjacent to these.

Forget the east. Write it off. It's not practical or worth the money to save pheasant hunting in these states. NO WAY-NO HOW. Concede them to the deer and turkey hunters.
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I'm not trying to quibble about numbers and the more the better, but I would be happy to see at least 40 million acres of fallow grassland/habitat conserved. I think this was the cap during the height of the CRP and I'd like to see fallow land at least get back to that level again (and for good). Of course we might as well set the sights high at 60 mil to start with...:thumbsup:
 
Concerning my quote: " I could almost care less what the private sector does on its 85%".

What I mean is that current private property rights would remain essentially status quo. They would do the same things on 850 acres as they would have done on 1000 acres. Just less to farm. They would just have 150 acres of grass as a neighbor.
 
I could be way off here but I feel the problem is to many people? How will we support this growing world by shutting down farmland? I guess my view is skewed coming from western Colorado where once we had a decent number of pheasants now there is none to speak of. Reasons for this are not the farmers it is the demand and mainly the population growth! I hunted many farms that are now box stores and subdivisions. it is SAD! We have a tried on our place to leave habitat for the birds and we have probably 3-4 pheasants that somehow make it through the year but there isn't enough habitat to make the bird population grow. Underground irrigation, outlawing trapping, and mainly residential growth has killed our wildlife population here. I do travel to Nebraska 1-2 times a year and love hunting there, the people are great and there is way more birds than here? I have to say don't fault the farmer for in my eyes it is the blind people that make up 99% of our population that are causing the demand for more food!
 
That is correct. There simply is too many people in many parts of the country to have any reasonable chance to restore birds. Western CO was part of that rare, "blink-of-an-eye" period when in the 40s, 50s & 60s people were still concentrated in the cities and there was little intrusion into the desolate rural farm landscape. Easy transportation provided the opportunity for larger, growing population density areas to spread themselves into already fragile pheasant habitat. That, along with the loss of the soil bank and hostile farming methods, was the scull and crossbones to birds in the east and western CO.
In hindsight, these areas were never good areas to expect a long term foundation for pheasant habitat. Pheasants need big sky, far-as-the-eye-can-see, desolate, rural, cropland with 15-20% grassy/weedy areas mixed in. Shelter belts can add some octane to the mix also.

Here's the good news: My above definition of Pheasantland HAS the proper foundation to create a pheasant paradise. Last week I was in the panhandle of NE hunting sharptails. Now that thar is rural, desolate farm/ranch land with a real lonely feel to it. But CRP type grass has all but disappeared from the landscape. Huntable numbers of pheasants are on the brink and slipping to un-huntable FAST. Why? Not because of too many people but because there is not enough tall, weedy grass. It is aggressively farmed and ranched! Farming on steroids.
 
Well the farming practices will only get more efficient I think. With a majority of the people who make up this country living in the city and not knowing where their food comes from, or for that matter caring they will just keep making more babies and in return more demand for food. This can only push wildlife out, more bug and weed spray, 50 day corn, and lots of people. The saddest part is the 100 people on this forum are not going to convince the population that we might be headed in the wrong direction?? I am embarrassed to tell people where I am from, I say "Colorado" and they say "Oh Calorado the new California" Outlaw trapping and legalize pot!!! I have nothing in common with the majority of people that make up CALorado and I don't want to. Enjoy the birds while they are here, because where I live they're gone...
Side note. Colorado just changed its state logo spent $1.5 million to do it. I don't know but I think we could have used that money for better things. maybe habitat. But people just don't care or maybe they just don't know?
 
QuailBob said:
Well the farming practices will only get more efficient I think. With a majority of the people who make up this country living in the city and not knowing where their food comes from, or for that matter caring they will just keep making more babies and in return more demand for food. This can only push wildlife out, more bug and weed spray, 50 day corn, and lots of people. The saddest part is the 100 people on this forum are not going to convince the population that we might be headed in the wrong direction?? I am embarrassed to tell people where I am from, I say "Colorado" and they say "Oh Calorado the new California" Outlaw trapping and legalize pot!!! I have nothing in common with the majority of people that make up CALorado and I don't want to. Enjoy the birds while they are here, because where I live they're gone...
Side note. Colorado just changed its state logo spent $1.5 million to do it. I don't know but I think we could have used that money for better things. maybe habitat. But people just don't care or maybe they just don't know?
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You are right the people on this forum will not convince the rest of the growing population, and that is not the tact to take. IMHO our best chance as hunters/conservationists is to join and support organizations who have some clout and are fighting to help develop and conserve habitat (like Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, etc.). The key is to shape large-scale legislation like the Farm Bill and other conservation programs and these organizations can do that but need our support and involvement. That and do not hesitate to communicate your opinions and desires to your elected representatives.

I think you are also right that farming practices will continue to become more efficient and that doesn't have to mean it is also detrimental to habitat and wildlife that depend on it. In order to produce more food you can't continue to ignore the long-term health of the land and water because it will backfire at some point - already is. I think the vision pointed out in this thread is to permanently set aside grassland habitat in about 15% (60 million acres) across the core pheasant range. This would server to both protect the long-term health of the land and water and provide a place for wildlife to flourish.

I also live in CO (front range) and a day doesn't go by that I don't yearn for a return to the landscape of the '60's and 70's and even '80's when I could shoot pheasants right on the outskirts of Loveland and Fort Collins. Those days are long gone but there is still a chance to conserve plenty of land across the pheasant range for future generations to enjoy. Just gotta help fight for it and not fold-up the tent....:thumbsup:
 
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Well I don't know about you Double Trigger but I feel I haven't "folded up the Tent" I don't have a lot especially to plains standards but I try with what I have. Keep in mind on the Western slope yields are far different than dry land I have a 15 acre hay field that is capable of producing 70 ton yield with a 2 cutting year, sometimes we get 3. I have 62 acres total and of that only 30 acres is in farmland, 20 acres are designated strictly to wildlife habitat (rose bushes, grass and food plots) the other is not workable but has a year around creek and another 12-15' deep drain ditch running through the place (Great Habitat). I do not spray any more than the fields require. Believe it or not this stuff does not come free I have to maintain my equipment, feed it fuel, property tax, irrigation water bill, fences to maintain, pipe to maintain, and the list goes on. Anyway I feel, to say the least I have not folded any tents up!!!
I have a lot of quail, rabbits, few doves, and countless other critters, but only a couple pheasants. In fact I trapped over 70 skunks, coons and house cats in a year on that little piece of property alone with live traps. I feel I could do ALOT better with kill traps and snares but they are illegal here. I don't mean to be rood, but I do my best to help the birds.
There was an interesting ad in successful Farming a few years back that said "The average farmer feeds 155 people and was believed to push 200 in 20 years" I see that as a problem! How are we going to keep the population growing and set land aside??? Think about the machinery alone and how much faster it moves, a rotary or disk swather can cut at 15 mph, pheasant chick can't move out of the way of that bad boy!! That doesn't kill them all sure but it is not helping.
 
QuailBob said:
Well I don't know about you Double Trigger but I feel I haven't "folded up the Tent" I don't have a lot especially to plains standards but I try with what I have. Keep in mind on the Western slope yields are far different than dry land I have a 15 acre hay field that is capable of producing 70 ton yield with a 2 cutting year, sometimes we get 3. I have 62 acres total and of that only 30 acres is in farmland, 20 acres are designated strictly to wildlife habitat (rose bushes, grass and food plots) the other is not workable but has a year around creek and another 12-15' deep drain ditch running through the place (Great Habitat). I do not spray any more than the fields require. Believe it or not this stuff does not come free I have to maintain my equipment, feed it fuel, property tax, irrigation water bill, fences to maintain, pipe to maintain, and the list goes on. Anyway I feel, to say the least I have not folded any tents up!!!
I have a lot of quail, rabbits, few doves, and countless other critters, but only a couple pheasants. In fact I trapped over 70 skunks, coons and house cats in a year on that little piece of property alone with live traps. I feel I could do ALOT better with kill traps and snares but they are illegal here. I don't mean to be rood, but I do my best to help the birds.
There was an interesting ad in successful Farming a few years back that said "The average farmer feeds 155 people and was believed to push 200 in 20 years" I see that as a problem! How are we going to keep the population growing and set land aside??? Think about the machinery alone and how much faster it moves, a rotary or disk swather can cut at 15 mph, pheasant chick can't move out of the way of that bad boy!! That doesn't kill them all sure but it is not helping.
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QuailBob,

Thanks for your post and I didn't mean to imply anything negative in saying folding up the tent. I was referring more to upland bird hunters and there are some that are indeed folding up the tent and not hunting anymore. As a landowner it sounds like you are doing more than your share to help the birds and keep up the good work.

I understand your concerns about growing human population and I have them too - that is a whole 'nother discussion. :mad:

All the best
 
QuailBob, I tip my hat to you for all the things you are doing for the wildlife and habitat :)

QuailBob said:
Well I don't know about you Double Trigger but I feel I haven't "folded up the Tent" I don't have a lot especially to plains standards but I try with what I have. Keep in mind on the Western slope yields are far different than dry land I have a 15 acre hay field that is capable of producing 70 ton yield with a 2 cutting year, sometimes we get 3. I have 62 acres total and of that only 30 acres is in farmland, 20 acres are designated strictly to wildlife habitat (rose bushes, grass and food plots) the other is not workable but has a year around creek and another 12-15' deep drain ditch running through the place (Great Habitat). I do not spray any more than the fields require. Believe it or not this stuff does not come free I have to maintain my equipment, feed it fuel, property tax, irrigation water bill, fences to maintain, pipe to maintain, and the list goes on. Anyway I feel, to say the least I have not folded any tents up!!!
I have a lot of quail, rabbits, few doves, and countless other critters, but only a couple pheasants. In fact I trapped over 70 skunks, coons and house cats in a year on that little piece of property alone with live traps. I feel I could do ALOT better with kill traps and snares but they are illegal here. I don't mean to be rood, but I do my best to help the birds.
There was an interesting ad in successful Farming a few years back that said "The average farmer feeds 155 people and was believed to push 200 in 20 years" I see that as a problem! How are we going to keep the population growing and set land aside??? Think about the machinery alone and how much faster it moves, a rotary or disk swather can cut at 15 mph, pheasant chick can't move out of the way of that bad boy!! That doesn't kill them all sure but it is not helping.
Click to expand...
 
Well thank you sir! I wish I could do more I LOVE to see wild birds just something about it, always have had a love for birds. I tell you when I day dream it is about plains and birds, from bobwhite out of a plum thicket, to a floating rooster crossing, or pintails on a prairie pothole. The only thing that is the same is they are all in the flatlands. I love it and can't wait to be there in Nebraska opening day.
 
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